Wayne Wright

Retired Smith County farmer and realtor, Mr. Wayne Wright of the Rome Community, departed this life to go home to be with Jesus at 8 p.m. Saturday evening January 10, 2026 at the age of 85 with his daughter at his bedside. He was under the care of Gentiva Hospice of Livingston at Mr. Wright's Flatrock Road farm home where he was pronounced deceased at 9 p.m.
Mr. Wright is at the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home where Pastor Travis Watkins will officiate at the 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon January 15th funeral to celebrate his life. A private interment will follow in the Garden of Gethsemane beside his wife Dwin at the Smith County Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends at Sanderson in Carthage only on Thursday January 16th from 12 noon until the 3 p.m. service.
Mr. Wright was one of two sons born to the late Edward Carmack Wright who died at the age of 93 on March 23, 2001 and Alice Evelyn Caplenor who died at the age of 74 on December 1, 1989 and was born Wayne Russell Wright in Madison on October 23, 1940.
Mr. Wright was a member of the 1959 graduating class at Smith County High School. He majored in Agriculture and foreign languages. A star football player, he was a player all four years and co-captain his senior year and played right tackle and was a member of the Owls Squad when they won the Tobacco Bowl in 1957. The '59 team were Cumberland Valley Champions his senior year, not losing a single scheduled game in '59. He was the junior class representative and was a member of the Spanish and Latin Clubs.
A gentleman in every respect, it was stated of him in the '59 Owl; Much may be said about him".
He was united in marriage to Buffalo Community native and his high school sweetheart, Dwin Kemp on her parents, Adron and Wandalene Sircy Kemp's front porch. The wedding was conducted on September 11, 1959. Dwin preceded Wayne in death on February 20, 2020 at the age of 78 following over sixty years of marriage.
Wayne, Dwin, Judy Smith Brooks and Bobby Williams created B & W Auction and Reality Co. in Carthage in 1994, a successful company operated by the group until Wayne and Dwin retired in 2009.
He was a member of the Carthage United Methodist Church.
Following retirement, he continued to operate the family farm on Flat Rock Road and Lebanon Highway as long as his health permitted.
He was a person of kindness and a spirit that connected with all whom he came in contact with and was a highly respected gentleman.
Surviving is his daughter, Pam Wright Knight and husband Jimmy of Lebanon; grandson, Blake Hunter and wife Natalie of the Rome Community; brother, Edward Wright of Lyman, South Carolina; sister-in-law, Denise Williams Kemp of the Buffalo Community.